USA TODAY 10 Best Readers’ Choice 2016

Sometimes the journey is just as important as the destination. Such is the case for passengers who step aboard these 10 American trains – voted as the best in the U.S. by 10Best readers from a pool of 20 nominees hand-picked by a panel of rail travel experts.

Our readers voted daily for their favorite train rides for four weeks. The results are in!

Western Maryland Scenic Railroad – Between Cumberland and Frostburg, Md.

Grand Canyon Railway – Between Williams and Grand Canyon, Ariz.

Empire Builder – Between Chicago and Portland/Seattle

A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to picked the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote. Experts Jim Loomis (Trains & Travel), Todd Powell (Vacations By Rail), H. Lawrence Swartz, Ph.D. (America by Rail) and Jim Wrinn (Trains magazine) were chosen based on their knowledge of train travel in the United States.